Volume 1 Issue 6 - Nov 2008 Web: www.lankaemb-riyadh.org Email: [email protected] Tel: +966-1-460-6906/460-8689 / 460-8232/460-8235 Fax: +966-1-460-0846

1947 by the then Prime Minister Mr D. S. His son Ashley who attended St Peters Grand Old Homes fromp3 SL President in New York Senanayake. College was later Professor of English The Power Of Giving at the University of Peradeniya. exercise in memory recall, and also Adjoining the hospital was a roadway to jog the memories of readers. The leading to the Boys Industrial School Maya Avenue was previously called descriptions are of people and homes providing vocational education to young Link Road. It linked Havelock Road to along Havelock Road and beyond people the new road to . At its around sixty years ago. Havelock intersection with Havelock Road was Road begins at the Bullers Road On the opposite side next door to the famous Oasis Nurseries owned by intersection or what is popularly Shalimar, at No 500, a battleaxe block John Cosmas, a Greek who was known as the Thunmulla Junction, stood the home of Alfred West Toussaint, ’s leading horticulturist. He had and ends at the Pamankade Bridge a former Engine Driver of the Railway a well-stocked nursery standing on on the road to Kohuwala. Close to its whose legs were severed below the knee several acres of land, and was the southern end, at the intersection of after accidentally slipping off the engine source of the plants that beautified the Havelock Road with Maya Avenue, on to the railway track. His father Alfred gardens around homes of Colombo at was a popular Shell Service Station West Toussaint (Snr) was one of the first the time. opposite to which there was the City Burghers in Ceylon to be appointed as a Hospital for Animals which opened in Railway Engine Driver. Toussaint worked Most houses, in those halcyon times, ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: for several years in an administrative would have a resident gardener or

capacity in the railway office at McCallum “thota karaya” as he was called. The What is the power of an individual Business Road. Oasis Nurseries sold packets of Zinnia, when that person happens to be a Opportunities Balsam, Dahlia, and Chrysanthemum He used to travel to work each day by seeds, which were all perennial John D. Rockefeller or a Bill Gates? If Desiccated Coconut (High Fat), rickshaw, pulled by his faithful rickshaw favorites with the housewives of history is a guide, the answer is, quite Toasted Desiccated Coconut a lot. I'm speaking not only about the puller Muttiah. Each morning Muttiah Colombo together with Canna Tubers, President Mahinda Rajapaksa being received by a group of Sri Lankan children when he Mr. Saman Gunasekara power to reshape an industry like oil or Beligala Coconut Products (Pvt) Ltd would climb up the steps of the house, lift Rose Grafts, and a beautiful range of arrived in New York to attend the meeting of the UN General Assembly. Foreign Minister Alfred from his wheelchair, carry him and Orchids, all very popular with garden personal computers but also about the Rohitha Bogollagama is seen on the extreme left. No.125, George R De Silva Mawatha ,Colombo 13, place him on the rickshaw. He would then conscious Colombo ability to improve the world through ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: philanthropy. Rockefeller proved that Tel:+94 11 2435141 Fax: +94 11 2446310 pull the rickshaw all the way to McCallum giving away money is much more than SLEA Host Female inmates in Dammam Email: [email protected] Road in the city; spend his time around charity. It can be transformative. And if The Sri Lankan Expatriates Association in the Eastern Province brought meaning to Web: http://www.coconut-srilanka.com the office until his master was ready to go

today's billionaires were to pool their this years Ramadan by organizing an Ifthar for the Sri Lankan inmates at the Ladies back home after work. Muttiah and his Paper Based Products resources, they could outflank the Deportation Camp in Dammam on Sep 10, 2008. wife were quartered in the garage of the Mrs. Dilani Wijethunge world's governments in ending poverty Richard Trading Company Pvt Ltd Toussaint home, and the couple worked and pandemic disease. The collective event successfully provided the inmates with a typical Sri Lankan style No. 64, Perakumba St. , Sri exclusively for the Toussaints. The meal made possible by the active membership of the Association. The ladies Lanka Toussaint home was one of a duplex, the expressed their gracious thanks to the SLEA. Mr Charley Talaratna, the dedicated More than a century ago, Rockefeller Tel:+94 37 5670385 Fax: +94 37 4690710 other occupied by the Rowalnds. Alfred’s Chairman of the SLEA’s Labor and Welfare Committee was influential in obtaining Email: [email protected] wife Alice (nee Drieberg) aged over 90 decided to put his vast fortune to public use, offering to endow a federal access to the camp in order to host the event. Web: http://www.richard100.com years, was living alone in this house in institution to fight disease, poverty and 1997, her son Maurice having migrated to To be continued in the December issue ignorance. Hotheads attacked him, Cordial, Jams, Condiments, Canada several decades earlier.

claiming that he was just trying to buy Sauces, Chutney Mr. M.Rajkumar, Managing Director EDITORIAL BOARD a good name, and Congress At number 502 stood the rambling old Araliya Exporter (Pvt) Ltd Honorary Members demurred. So, instead, in 1913, Caroline House in which Mrs Caroline de No.280/4-280/5, Road Wattala, A Sabarullah Khan Rockefeller set up the Rockefeller Silva lived for many years in the house Sri Lanka W A Sarath Kumara Foundation with two initial gifts totaling built by her husband. The house was Yasantha de Silva Tel:+94 11 2942126 Fax: +94 11 2942126 $100 million. No institution did more in Email: [email protected] demolished in 1955. Mrs de Silva owned M C Rasooldeen J.P the 20th century to further the cause of Website: http://www.araliyagroup.com the adjoining row of houses in which lived Fazli Sameer international development. It led the the Fryer and Reimers families for several [email protected]

way in the eradication of hookworm in Selective Designs years. These houses have also been The November issue of Insight is the U.S. South, helping pave the way Mr. N.W.Dissanayaka, Managing Director demolished. On the opposite side was sponsored by Jayantha D Nandaraj Wooden Toys, Educational toys for the region's economic ‘Beth-Holme’ the home of B. J. Pompeus, No.303/2, Sri Wijaya Mawatha Bokundara development. It supported the Nobel- Piliyandala and earlier R. A. Honter. In the adjoining Printed at Al Raja Press, Riyadh prizewinning work that created the Tel:+94 11 2708248 Fax: +94 11 2708393 garden were several homes in one of +966-1-453-8811 (Tel), 470-1167 (Fax) yellow-fever vaccine. It helped Brazil Email: [email protected] which lived V. W. Halpe, a teacher at the Mobile: 050-323-1721 eliminate a malaria-transmitting strain Web: http://www.Selectivedesigns.biz Royal Primary School for several years. PAGE 4 of mosquito. See page 2

Insight – Nov 2008 Insight – Nov 2008 Next-door was the home of Dr Thomasz Power of Giving – from pg 1 New Premises for SLIS Jeddah in Sri Lanka Grand Old Homes Of whose daughter was a well-known And perhaps most stunningly, it funded Ten years after the British subdued the sporting figure of the time. A fine the Asian Green Revolution, the Kingdom of (1815), the Colombo specimen of the Traveller’s Palm- transformative agricultural success that cinnamon trade began floundering. Changes to Colombo’s landscape in Ravenela Madagascaris grew on its enabled India and other countries to The British had messed up a well- recent years have been so rapid and front lawn. Next door, No 498 Havelock escape endless cycles of famine and controlled industry. By 1840, comprehensive that anyone visiting the Road was “Kamala”, the home of Dr poverty. Cinnamon as a crop was virtually city after a period of time will hardly Nair named after his daughter. For a

extinct with prices down. Only the recognize parts of the landscape where few years it was tenanted by B. J. Now Bill and Melinda Gates, backed by scattered village plots were left. its grand old homes of yester years Lalyett, a Director of Darley Butler and more than $30 billion of their own funds have virtually faded out of sight. Where Company Ltd. The house was later and an additional $31 billion of Warren In 1825, the British introduced coffee beautiful houses and gardens once purchased by the then Director of Buffett's, can do the same. Like the in Kandy, at elevations from 1600 ft stood gladdening the eye of passers Education H. S. Perera who named it Rockefeller Foundation, the Gates above sea level to about 2000 ft. The by, there now stands a compacted “Shalimar”. Mr Perera died not long after Foundation rightly looks to technology first plantations were ‘Gangaroa’ (now structure enclosed by high walls. The he moved in to the house. His British for the breakthroughs that can end Gannoruwa) in Kandy and ‘Sinnapitiya’ grand old garden city that Colombo, wife continued to live in the house till extreme poverty on a global basis. Its (now Sinhapitiya) in Gampola. Coffee once was, up until the nineteen sixties, she passed away some years ago. In original focus has been on health was also planted in the and which enraptured visitors over the the house opposite lived Horace van technologies, but now the foundation is Knuckles/Rangala/Galaha areas. The years, seem to have been lost forever. Twest, who served with the Ceylon expanding to agriculture, water and British Coffee Planters introduced A visitor on a recent visit to Sri Lanka, Garrison Artillery during World War II other areas that are also critical in the cricket in the area north of Kandy, walking past old haunts, tried to Matara: Sunset In The fight against poverty. where they carved cricket grounds out recapture some of the imagery of the

of leech-infested hillsides. past, particularly in relation to Havelock South Of course, they are not alone in Caption : Lankan school : Sri Lankan Ambassador Mohamed Ageed Mohammed Marleen Road, which was a regular route to him contemporary transformative opens the new premises of the Sri Lankan International School in Jeddah, Saturday . At Although the British worked hard to in the days of his youth. He was met philanthropy. George Soros' support for extreme left is School Principal Fareeda H.Wahab. AN Photo make the coffee plantations only with limited success. Lots of old brave truth tellers in Central Europe and economically successful they did not memories and images did, however, the former Soviet Union helped catalyze RIYADH- With the beginning of the new academic year, the Sri Lankan bargain for the leaf disease ‘hemileia return, and he thought he should the peaceful end of communism. The International School in Jeddah moved to a new premises in the Bani Malik District vastatrix’ that could not be controlled retrieve some of it and place them on Google guys, Larry Page and Sergey of Jeddah, following the formal opening by the country's Ambassador Mohamed and spread fast, bringing ruin to coffee By then, around 1,000 Malay troops of Brin, are out to prove how information Ageed Mohammed Marleen. around 1865. the Dutch Colonial Army opted to join technologies can bring about major the British, forming the Ceylon Rifle change. The King Feisal Foundation Offering his best wishes to parents, students and teachers, the envoy said that Tea brought young men in search of Regiment and this saw the Malay and Islamic Development Bank, in the new school has a convenient and comfortable environment for effective soldiers taking to the game. A ‘green gold’ - men from the English Matara Sunset Saudi Arabia, have ventured into many learning. "A conducive environment for learning is important in children's newspaper report indicates that they Public Schools and Universities, Matara, located in the Southern region successful projects in bringing relief and education," Marleen stressed, pointing out that home, school and social played the civilian members of the sportsmen, even a Lord or two. They of the Paradise island of Sri Lanka is poverty alleviation for millions of people environment play a prominent role in bringing up children in a healthy manner. Colombo Cricket Club on the Rifle made Ceylon the leading Crown undoubtedly one of the most important across the developing world. "The new place is spacious, serene and would create a good platform for Regiment Grounds (site of the present Colony of the British Empire (John cities. Matara, owes its name to its students for curricular activities," Marleen said. Slave Island Police Barracks. Ferguson), which gave the island a location. It was originally known as According to Forbes magazine, there Their interest in the game saw the favored status. Maha Thota which is a Sanskrit word are some 950 billionaires in the world, establishment of Malay Cricket Club Delivering the welcome address, School Principal, Ms Fareeda H.Wahab, said derived from Maha Theertha commonly with an estimated combined wealth of (now Colombo Malay Cricket Club), in the new premises would help enhance the quality of education in the coming The Kandy district was the hub of early used to indicate a Ferry. Many called it $3.5 trillion. Even after all the yachts, 1871/72, the first all Ceylonese Cricket years. She noted that the school students obtained 90 percent passes in all cricket activity in Ceylon, the best so, meaning the Great Ferry. mansions and luxury living that money Club. The next to take to cricket were subjects at the recent IGCSE examination conducted by the University of cricketers playing in Knuckles / can buy have been funded many times the Dutch Burghers. By 1873, the Cambridge. "The new complex has a full-fledged library, science laboratory and Rangala / Hewaheta. Both the Matara's main claim to fame is the river over, these billionaires will still have Burghers of Colombo had taken to the all the facilities needed for children's education", she said, adding that the school Dickoya-Maskeliya Cricket Club and Nilwala which meets the sea at this nearly $3.5 trillion to change the world. game so wholeheartedly that they felt had 324 students on roll and half of them are girls. the ‘Dimboola’ Agrapatana Cricket point. Being a coastal city, it was an Suppose they pooled their wealth, as strong roots should be put down for a Club were founded in 1856, according easy victim of the foreigners who gained Buffett has done with Bill and Melinda Burgher Cricket Club that could take on The function was organized by the members of the previous board of to S. P. Foenander. control of the Maritime Provinces in the Gates. By standard principles of the Colombo Cricket Club and Malay management of the school. The former Chairman, Azmy Anverdeen, also spoke days gone by. foundation management, this would Cricket Club on an equal footing. And during the opening ceremony. The ‘Club’ is a place where planters yield, an amount sufficient to extend so, the was formed socialized or engaged in sports Portuguese, Dutch and the British basic health care to all in the poorest in 1873. -- ctd on page 4 activities and was introduced by the Colonial rulers had set their feet here at world; end massive pandemics of AIDS, Farewell to Ms Padminie Porage British Royalty in England during the TB and Malaria; jump-start an African Cricket in SL ctd one time or the other. Archaeological period 1399 – 1413 and was mainly A meeting to form the first Sinhalese remains show that Matara has been one Green Revolution; end the digital divide; for dining purposes, but with political and address the crying need for safe Sports Club was held at Wesley of their attractions. Matara Fort, the Star and social change, sports clubs began College Hall, Maradana, on March 28, Fort and the Nupe Market are the drinking water for 1 billion people. In from the 17th century. short, this billionaires' foundation would 1899. The young Tamils of Colombo famous landmarks in the city. They are The Ferguson Directory listed 22 clubs formed the Lanka Sports Club in a part of the Colonial heritage. The be enough to end extreme poverty playing cricket, among which was itself. All in all, it's not a bad gig for men November, 1895. The first President archway into the Fort which house many Colombo Cricket Club. ‘The Colombo was D. Muthuswamy, the Hony. official, mostly judicial buildings, the and women who have transcended the Journal’ was the only newspaper in daily economic struggle faced by the Secretary was N. C. Ponnambalam and surrounding ramparts, the clock tower and around 1830. In September 1832 the Cricket Captain was W. which still remains gives a picture of the rest of humanity. They might also take it had carried a notice towards note of the admonition of America's first Duraiswamy, later a member of the history of foreign occupation. establishing a cricket club and State Council and its Speaker. Price megaphilanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, requested gentleman who may feel who wrote in 1889 that "the day is not Park was the club’s home ground. Still another proud landmark of olden inclined to lend assistance towards Down the years from 1856 to 1908, all times, the colonial era was the Matara far distant when the man who dies this initiative to meet. This newspaper leaving behind him millions of available the major clubs were formed on ethnic railway station, which terminates the then carried reports to say that “The lines: English, Malay, Burgher, wealth, which was free for him to th Southern bound railway line. Matara is Ms Padminie Porage, Personal Assistant to the Sri Lankan Ambassador in Riyadh, was Colombo Cricket Club met the 97 Sinhalese and Tamil. In 1908, the last also the home to many races and administer during life, will pass away Regiment in a game in Colombo at the unwept, un-honored, and unsung." accorded a farewell reception on her completion of service with the Embassy. Left-right, of these clubs was founded, the Moors religions who have lived in peace and Hanida Salam, Shamila Aboosally, Padminie Porage, Aynfer Mansoor, & Azra Hilmy Army’s Rifle Parade Grounds”. This is Fortunately, plenty of new heroes seem Sports Club, who celebrate 100 years harmony for centuries. Page 2 said to be the first recorded cricket of this year. Page 3 ready for a different legacy. match in Ceylon.

Insight – Nov 2008 Insight – Nov 2008